Kids today are getting less daily physical exercise, and Teresa Martinez, Maricopa’s rep in the State House, wants to help change that. 

That’s why she invited Maricopa members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sun Corridor this morning to the Arizona State Capitol to launch the Statewide Fitness Challenge with six-time world title-winning boxer Mike Tyson, who reigned as the undisputed heavyweight champion in the late 1980s.  

“Arizona kids deserve every chance to grow up strong, confident and healthy — and that starts with movement,” Martinez said. She was inspired to help bring back the fitness test, which was discontinued in 2012, after hearing that most high school military recruits do not meet fitness standards.  

Physical activity among kids has been low for years and things don’t seem to be improving. Last year, a report from the Physical Activity Alliance showed roughly 1 in 4 children and youth got the recommended hour of daily physical activity. That’s the same number as its previous report in 2022. 

“That is a new problem we’ve never had before,” Martinez said. “On the radio, they talked about how the presidential fitness challenge was also done away with and we should bring it back. I thought, ‘That’s a great idea, I should steal that idea.’” 

And steal away she did. Martinez partnered with several cosponsors to launch the Statewide Fitness Challenge in partnership with the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs. 

The challenge runs through July 1 at clubs across the state and youth with planned daily physical activities. The participants will track their progress in simple exercises, like planks, push-ups and sit-ups.  

Martinez said she was inspired to bring in retired boxer Tyson not only because of his global name recognition — he was the youngest heavyweight champion and the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the three-belt era — but also because of his dedication to incorporating fitness in education, especially locally.  

“Mike has a microschool in Arizona and … he incorporated physical fitness into his school. He’s also wonderful with kids and I had the opportunity to meet him once before,” she said. 

Tyson’s visit lasted about half an hour — he briefly spoke and served as a judge for a push-up competition between kids and legislators — but it left a big impression on the kids. 

That included 11-year-old Steven Calderon. He was among a crowd of a few dozen youth cheering as soon as the retired boxer’s name was announced.  

Calderon, who attends the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sun Corridor and lives in Maricopa, said today’s event at the Capitol was exciting, even if it was a little bit nerve-wracking. 

“It was nice. I was a little nervous because I’ve never met such a famous person before, but I liked it,” Calderon said. 

Matthew Lemberg, executive director of the youth organization, said it was a “cool opportunity.” 

“I mean, even the adults here are excited. It’s just an amazing opportunity as part of our statewide alliance to come together at the Capitol,” he told InMaricopa. “Fitness is such an important part of what we want to do, so we love that the legislators support it.”